Monday, June 05, 2006

Big Apple - Part II



Okkkk....
So here's what happened when I went to New York for Memorial Day Weekend for those who were curious to ask.

Day 1: Touchdown
Had an uneventful flight through American Airlines. Will decide to not fly AA again because the plane was plagued with technical problems, ie. tv didn't work, seats were cramped, and the plane must have been from the 80s. Will probably pay the extra to fly on JetBlue since Song is no longer around...

Checked into Club Quarters hotel in the Wall Street district and decided to grab lunch at, where else? Chinatown!

After lunch, I started my massive search for bags. After my conscience made me return my Marc Jacobs Sienna hobo bag 2 months ago, I decided my new favorite MJ bag would be THE VENETIA. Since EBAY was flooded with knockoffs of it, I figure I could find it in NYC.
My search was unsuccessful for the first round so I decided to give Nick a poor break and we went to MoMa (Musem of Modern Art).
Since I am the Queen of Frugality, I did some research beforehand and knew MOMA has free admissions Friday nights after 4pm (it closes at 8pm).
I prefer the MOMA over the Met Museum, modernism over traditionalism. I especially liked the industrial design exhibit it had on its top floor + and its design gift shop across the street.
Check out these salt + pepper shakers... :)



Afterward, we decided to explore the Midtown area as it turned into dusk. Walked along 5th avenue and passed Louis Vuitton, Bergdof Goodman, Bottega Venetta and found the new Mac Store. From the street, the store's designed as a clear glass cube with the Apple logo suspended in the middle. To enter, you walk into a glass elevator or take the glass stairs that takes you down into the huge basement that displays the wares.



Hunger drove us out of Midtown and into the East Village. Nick heard of this British-Indian restaurant and when we got off the subway, I felt like I was in the real New York. East Village is populated with hipsters, punks, and college students from nearby NYU. The nightlife was phenomenal here, open-air bars, basement restaurants, indie shops, and brickstone architecture. We arrived at Bricklane Curry House and had some of the best Chicken Tikka Masala....

Day 2: Touring West Village, Greenwich Village, East Village
We didn't make it to Magnolia Bakery but the West Village apparently is Sex in the City territory. My bf's sister was in town and commented that when she passed the bakery where Carrie Bradshaw frequented, the line was a block long. Heeelll no, I'm not waiting that long for $3-$4 cupcakes!

Fav food find: Belgium Pomme Frittes Shoppe
I've heard about Belgium pomme frittes for the longest--they're basically steak french fries that are fried, wrapped in wax paper, and served alongside a variety of delicious condiments (the BPFS had over 90+ flavors to choose!). We got a free sample that included: Irish curry, white peppcorn cheddar, and pineapple chutney. They were all good but the pineapple chutney won me over.

Greenwich Village: NYU George Washington Park scene.
NYU has a great vibe. Those kids are lucky to go to school there!

East Village had the best indie design/toy/graphic shops around--I made a trek to Giant Robot's NYC store (GR2) and bought a design book and mini-qeebear. The store clerk recommended me to visit Tokyo Toys where I got some pretty awesome indie toys for myself (more cubicle decor!).

Afterward, we hit up the Metropolitan Museum of Art....
My favorite exhibits were the medieval armory and Egyptian wing. We only had 1.5 hrs to spend here and we didn't crack even half of the museum. You could have spent days inside here.

Dinner find: Yakiniku Juju
Korean BBQ...this place was a mix of Japanese/Korean food and was frequented by 99.9% asians.

3rd Day: Legs are killing me
More Chinatown! Nailed 2 bags. The MJ bag I wanted in black leather and white stitching. AAA+ replica with genuine leather, suede interior, and 99.9% identical to what the Venetia does look like. I saved $850 dollars buying this version versus the real one.
The other bag I found was a white Chloe Paddington.

Had brunch with Nick's sister in Midtown near Rockefeller Center. Nick and I stopped by Kinokuniya where I bought Abra a Japanese fashion magazine and some stationary for myself. Saw Dean & Deluca (Whats the fuss? Just some nicely packaged wares). Went to Bloomingdales briefly, saw H&M (nothing I liked).
Explored the Lower East Side and went to TEANY, the teahouse that Moby co-sponsored.

Last dinner place: Little Italy.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey, I am so making a list of things to do from your adventures in NY for when I go in two weeks. Did you go that place that sells knock offs by the Brooklyn Bridge? I saw the phatest Marc Jacobs today, but for some reason I have a hard time spending $250 on a purse. I don't know call me crazy. ;0)

Anonymous said...

NYC looks so cool! I would definitely hit up all the Asian restaurants and the Art museums. I need to go before I get old. :-P I heard that the guys at the clubs were nastier than Miami guys.

Anonymous said...

was this trip just pleasure? good to see you and Nick spending QT. I'm so jealous... good researcher you are. fun-filled day. yes, I like MOMA way better than the MET, but the MET is free, er, donation... lol. it's free, but they have suggested donation-prices? puh-lease.
I've heard of TEANY, how was it? oho, they opened up a GIANT ROBOT? no way. missing you, keep the travels and get away from work.

P.S. do post or e-mail photos of your bag vs. the original? and IM me or e-mail what you paid ;-)